The present invention relates generally to an article of footwear, and in particular to an article of footwear with a thong portion including grooves.
Meltzer (U.S. Pat. No. 2,928,191) teaches an article of footwear that includes a toe thong that is composed of a tube of woven fabric that is enveloped around a coil spring which extends coaxially through the tube. The spring is attached at its upper hooked end to an attachment loop that is located on the underside of an ornamental button. The upper end of the tube is pushed up to the concealed hooked end. The tube and the spring pass through an opening in the inner sole where an anchoring means penetrates the tube and engages a loop at the lower end of the spring in the outer sole. The tube is adhesively secured to the button and the outer sole. In another embodiment, the thong is connected to and extends through a portion of an upper. Meltzer teaches that the woven fabric of the tube is elastic so that the tube is stretchable in a longitudinal direction for a limited extent to assure a proper fit for different foot and toe sizes.
The related art requires a toe thong including multiple pieces, which can increase manufacturing costs and reduce manufacturing efficiency. There is a need for articles that address the limitations of the related art.